Combined propelling and steering mechanism for boats



March 184, 1952 D. F. SHERMAN 2,589,300

COMBINED PROPELLING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR BOATS Filed Aug. 15. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 18, 1952 D. F. SHERMAN 2,589,300

COMBINED PROPELLING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR BOATS Filed Aug. 15, 195o 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .DELMER E #HERMAN March 18, 1952 D. F. SHERMAN 2,589,300

COMBINED PROPELLING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR BOATS Filed Aug. l5, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 OFFICE COMBINED PROPELLING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR BOATS neimer F. shermanivew Plymouth, Idaho Applieation'August 15, 1950, Serial No. 179,517

3 claims.y (Crue- 50) My invention relates to improvements in water craft propelling means of the paddle wheel type which is also used for steering the boat or vessel e yso that the usual rudder is not needed; and hence the mechanism might be termed a directional.

power rudder. y

One object of the invention is to provide a driv-Y ing and steering mechanism ofthe above indi,- cated character in the form of one compact unit which may be readily mounted over an opening in the bottoni of a vessel so that the only protruding parts will be portions of the bladesfof the paddle wheel or wheels.

Another object of the invention is'to provide a unit of this character which when mounted adjacent to the center of the vessel-whichis' where the power plant of the larger vessels are located-will eliminate the usual long drive shaft.

' Another object is to provide acombined propelling and steering unit'which will make the ship or water craft highly maneuverablesince it may be quickly adjusted to drive the ship sideways or in a rearward direction without a mecha-v nism to reverse the direction of rotation of the drive or power shaft.

A further object is to provide `an improved paddle wheel structure and means for driving it and mounting it for rotary adjustment about a vertical axis for steering.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, as will hereinafterappean'the invention resides inthe novel combinations'and arrangements of parts and in the novel features of vconstruction described and claimed in the following'specication, and shown in. the 'accompan-ying drawings, in which:

Fig. ll is avvertical sectional view'thi'oug'h the bottom of a boat or ship showing the improved propelling and steeringunit inside elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line` 2 2 of Fig. l. l

Fig, 3 is a View similar to Fig. l showing Vthe gear casings in elevation and the paddle wheel shaft turned through a 90 arc;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the rotatable semi-spherical casing which houses the paddle wheel;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the element shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line S--B-vof Fig. 2;

Figs. '7 and 8 are inner face views of the two sections of the casing for the upper pair of bevel gears which are included in the power drive Vfor the paddle wheel; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are inner face views of the'two sections'of the casing'fcr the lower pair of bevel gears which are included in the power drive for the paddle wheel. y Referring more in detail to the drawings the letter B denotes a portion of the bottom of fa boat, ship orother water raft'and the numeral I I vdenotes as a whole my improved Vcombination propelling and'steering unit which is positioned over a circular opening in the bottom B, as seen in Fig. 2. rlfhe unit comprises a station'- ary outer casing section II and a rotatable inner casing section I2, these casing sections vbeing preferably semi-spherical and having their open lower-ends over the opening in the boat'bot'tom. The outer section II includes a flat attaching ring I3 to rest against the inneror outer'face'of the bottom B with a suitable packing ring interposed. The ring may be secured by ank annular series of bolts I4 or'similar fastenings passed through apertures Aadjacent the outer edgevof the ring. The casing section lII may be detachably secured to the ring by an annular series of screws or otherfastenings I5 passed through openings in a circular outwardly projecting flange 6 formed around the bottom edge of the sectionyl I, a suitable packing ring being interposed between the 'flange and ring. The ange I6 is seated on the ring in spaced relation to the inner edge'of the ring so as to provide an inwardly extending annular bearingflange I'I on which the bottom of the inner 'casing section I2 is supported. rIfhe bottom edge of the section I2 is widened and formed withV an annular raceway for an annular row of anti-friction bearing balls i8 which also run in a similar groove or raceway formed'in the top of thesupporting flange I1 so the inner section vmay rotate freely'. Forming a part vof the rotary mountingof the inner section'is a tubular bearing I3 projecting upwardly from the center of the topof the section i I for the reception of a cylindrical sleeve 20 formed at the top of the inner section. The sleeve 20 projects above the tube or boss I9 and connected to its upper end is a suitable steering mechanism to rotate it, as

presently described. y l

'Formed vat diametrically opposite points inthe thickened lower portion of the rotatablesection I2 are bearing openings 2| for the endsof a shaft 22 for a paddle wheel or wheels. Asshown two horizontally spaced paddle wheels 23 are fixed to the shaft. Each wheel has a tubular hub ZA keyed or otherwise fastened on the shaft, and

a plurality of flat radially projecting blades with beveled outer ends. The paddle blades rotate in the inner section and through the opening into bottom of the boat to propel it. The paddle wheel shaft has suitably fixed to it adjacent its center a bevel gear 26 which meshes with a similar gear or pinion 21 fixed to the lower end of a power or drive shaft 28. The latter extends vertically upward through and is rotatable in the sleeve 2U, its upper end being suitably driven from any power source. Enclosing these gears is a two section gear housing which is supported on the two shafts. One section 29 of the gear casing encloses the gear 2S and a half of gear 21 while the section 3B is in the nature of a cover plate for the main section 29 and has a chambered part 3| to enclose the other half of gear 21. The two sections of the gear casing are united in a plane extending through the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 28, as will be understood on reference to Figs. 2, 9 and 10, the two sections being fastened together by screws or the like.

As seen in Fig. 2 the upper end of shaft 28 has xed to it a bevel gear 32 which meshes with a similar gear 33 xed to a power or propelling shaft 34. The latter may extend in any radial directionv from shaft 28 and may be driven from any form of motor or engine. These gears are enclosed in a two section casing similar to the sections 29, 30. The main section 34, shown in Fig, 8, encloses the gear 32 and half of gear 33 while the cover section 35, shown in Fig. 7, encloses the other half of gear 33.

Fig. 2 also shows one way in which the sleeve 20 may be rotated to cause the paddle wheels to steer the boat. A bevel gear 36 has its hub pinned or otherwise secured to the upper end of the sleeve 20, and it meshes with a similar gear 31 xed to a steering shaft 38. The latter may extend in any radial direction from the axis of shaft 28 and may be turned by any desired steering mechanism. The gears 36 and 31 are enclosed in a two section casing similar to the previously described gear casings or housings. As shown the main section 39 encloses the gear 36 and half of gear 31 while the cover section 40 encloses the other half of gear 31. The gear casing sections have projecting bosses through which the shafts extend, and the boss 4| on the section 39 may rest on or be removably secured to the upper end of the bearing I9. As shownl in Fig. 2 the section 34 may rest on the section 40 but it will be understood that means not shown may be provided for bracing or supporting the gear housings. y

It is believed the operation of the mechanism will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. When the shaft 34 is driven the paddie wheels will be rotated to propel the boat, and its direction of movement will depend upon position of the paddle wheel shaft 22 relative to the longitudinal axis of the boat. By turningthe steering shaft 34 the inner section l2 may be rotated to cause the paddle wheels to move the boat in any direction forward, sideways or backward.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provisions have been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed,

fil

variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A combined propelling and steering mechanism for mounting over a circular opening in the bottom of a water craft comprising outer and inner casing members having open circular lower ends the outer member being stationary and having attaching means around its bottom, said outer member also having at the center of its top an upwardly projecting tubular bearing, means mounting said inner member for rotation in said outer member, said mounting means including an annular bearing around the bottom of said inner member' and an upwardly projecting cylindrical sleeve xed to the center of the top of said inner member and extending through attention is invited to the possibilityff making and rotatable in said tubular` bearing, a rotary shaft mounted diametrically across the lower portion of said inner member, a paddle wheel on said shaft and having its blades movable through the open lower end of said inner member, a vertical power shaft extending through and rotatable in said sleeve, gearing connecting V said shafts for rotating said paddle wheel, and

steering means connected to the upper end of said sleeve to rotate said inner member.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said gearing is located adjacent the center of said rst mentioned sha-ft and said paddle wheel comprises two horizontally spaced sections positioned on opposite sides of said gearing.

3. A combined propelling and steering mechanism for mounting over a circular opening in the bottom of a water craft comprising a flat attaching ring, an outer stationary, semi-spherical casing section having its open bottom removably secured on the top of said ring with its bottom edge spaced from the inner edge of said ring to provide an inwardly extending annular bearing flange, said casing section having at the center of its top an upwardly projecting tubular bearing, an inner, rotary, semi-spherical casing section disposed within said outer casing section and having its open bottom edge rotatably supported on said bearing ange, said inner casing section having at the center of its top a cylindrical sleeve extending through and rotatable in said tubular bearing, said inner casing section also having diametrically arranged shaft bearings adjacent its bottom edge, a shaft having its ends rotatable in said shaft bearings, two horizontally spaced paddle wheels having their hubs xed to said shaft, the blades of said wheels have beveled ends rotatable in said inner casing section and through its open bottom, va vertical drive shaft extending through and crotatable in said sleeve, meshing beveled gears fixed to said shafts Vand disposed between said paddle wheels, a sectional casing enclosing said Agears land supported by said shafts, means at the upper end of said drive shaft forrotating it to drivesaidpaddle wheels, antmeans at `the upper end of said sleeve for turning ittorotate Vsaid innercasingsection. y

,. f. j. DELMERR SHERMAN- ENo references. cited., 

